*Let’s get Serious: Why can’t people understand the rules anymore?

The last seven days have produced plenty of talking points in the world of football. These have mainly centred around the three Rs: Referees, Respect and the Rules of the game.

First, there was the events at White Heart Lane on Wednesday evening. Then came a few home truths in the Sunday papers from ref supremo Keith Hackett. And finally, there was the ‘contentious’ sending off of Javier Mascherano in Sunday’s disappointing encounter at Old Trafford, and the debate that has ensued.

Let us begin with Chelsea vs Tottenham last week.

Ashley Cole certainly deserved a red card for his inexcusable behaviour. The challenge was poor, and though the actual contact appeared minimal, it warranted a caution from referee Mike Riley at the very least. Cole’s subsequent reaction to his yellow card should then have seen him walk.

                                         

Referees chief Keith Hackett said as much in his column in the Sunday Telegraph this week:

(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/03/23/sfngue123.xml).

BBC Sport editor Mihir Bose then stuck his oar in:

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/mihirbose/2008/03/post_14.html)

In his blog, Bose suggests Steve Bennett, the referee for Sunday’s match between Manchester United and Liverpool, must have read Hackett’s criticism of him (Bennett was fourth official at White Heart Lane on Wednesday) and Riley while eating his corn flakes on Sunday morning, and then sent off Mascherano because he feared receiving another ticking off from his boss.

For those of you who do not know, Mihir Bose is a chartered accountant who then became a business journalist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mihir_Bose). He is essentially a cricket fan and knows next to nothing about football as evidenced by his recent report for Inside Sport from French Football Academy, Clairefontaine, where he claimed that Gerard Houllier’s was the greatest football mind of all time (or words to that effect).

*Moaning Manager of the Month: February 2008

February was an interesting month for moaning managers and the competition was fierce.

Manchester United assistant manager Carlos Queiroz got the ball rolling in the wake of his team’s defeat to arch rivals Manchester City with a puzzling complaint about his players being left tired after returning from England duty against Switzerland, where 3 United players averaged a gut-wrenching 65 minutes of playing time.

Perhaps he was referring to the epic cross-continental trek from London to Manchester.

Another strong contender was Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger for his harsh criticism of Birmingham defender, This Guy, for his clumsy leg-breaking challenge on plastic Croat, Eduardo da Silva.

“It was the result of a very bad tackle that’s not forgivable… A three-match ban is a joke… This Guy should never play football again,” Wenger complained.

His subsequent retraction of these comments removed the Arsenal manager from being seriously considered for the award.

Understandably upset that no Derby players’ legs have been broken yet this season, bleating Ram’s relegation shepherd, Paul Jewell, put forward his case for winning the Moaning Manager award by launching a stunning tirade against his own players for their abject performance in the 2-0 defeat to Wigan.

“Anyone who knows me knows I might not have been the best player but I always gave my best and still do. I will defend my players all the way if they are giving their best and things are just not happening. But I just can’t defend that performance. It was absolutely disgraceful.”

A Bradford City spokesman, who knows Jewell, later confirmed he was not the best player.

Three worthy efforts, but the award for Moaning Manager of the Month could only go to one man.

After leading his vastly superior squad to their first cup final defeat of the Abramovich era, Chelsea puppet overlord, Avram Grant, deservedly claimed the prize, firstly for his assertion that Wayne Bridge’s forearm juggling of the ball in Chelsea’s penalty area did not constitute a penalty. He then went on to insist that blowing the final whistle while Chelsea were not winning was somehow illegal. 

“I have never before seen the referee finish a match when this situation is happening.”                                                                                        

                                                 

The following week, in the face of mounting criticism of his team selection in the final and his general lack of tactical acumen, Grant hit back.

“You’re (the media) trying to hurt the team, hurt the club because we lost one game. Wait with the knife a little bit… You didn’t behave too nicely. Now I don’t respect you too much because we lost one game and you’ve taken it too far. I don’t like it. You hurt my players, you hurt the club and this is not the right way.”

Congratulations Avram for winning the inaugural Soccersnobs Moaning Manager of the Month award!

Soccersnobs.

Who gets your vote for February’s Moaning Manager of the Month? Please feel free to share your views in our comments section below.